2014...F6B Regional Rallies

[MichaelG]

I would like to get Phantom and Steve0080 involved in this discussion. I am thinking that rather than a very few people doing a lot of work to organize one National Rally for the F6B riders, it might be easier on those very few...to have several Regional Rallies, wherein we get local riders in each region of North America to host a rally. That gets a lot more people involved...especially at the local level, and shares the workload of hosting a rally with a multitude of people, rather than the 2 or 3 that worked so hard to host last years event in Franklin. NC.

I am thinking that if we can get a minimum of 4 volunteers...and preferably 6 to 8 volunteers...one volunteer from each Region of North America, to be the main...# 1 host...for their respective rally, and they in turn can get a couple of volunteer helpers from within their own region to assist them, that we can pull this off.

I am not going to name which regions, or which sections of North America the rallies should be held in, but I think we can all see...and agree...that between the USA and Canada, we have common-known areas such as...the Northeast...the Southeast...the Southwest...and the Northwest. We also have...North...East...South...and West. I leave it to YOU all to figure it out, and have someone step up and volunteer to host a rally. I believe that Phantom and Steve0080 will be happy to offer advice on this matter.

Here is where "I" come in: I want to ride to, and attend, each and every F6B rally next year. That means ALL of them. I also like to plan things out in advance. I am "asking" that we all try to get this ball rolling sooner, rather than later, so that those of us that want to ride farther distances can make those plans. Whether we end up with 4 or 6 or 8 or 10 Regional Rallies for 2014...I want to attend them all.

So, PLEASE put on your thinking caps. Think about whether or not YOUR area would make a good location for a Regional Rally for the F6B riders, and start talking to other riders in your area that are on this forum, to see if a small group of volunteerrs can be formed to host such an event. It really only takes 2 or 3 people in each region to do this.

Also, if anyone else wants to ride to any of these events...from a distance...I am happy to meet up with any of you and drag you along for the ride, so we all get to know one another.

What say ye?

[hiflyer]

Grand idea, and I will be the first to volunteer to host and have a regional rally in Oklahoma city. OKC has hosted numerous national and regional hog rallies. OKC has a premier downtown entertainment area known as "Bricktown", and route 66. Let me know what you think.

[Steve 0080]

Seems kinda formal...but OK.... why not have one per month in a different area of the country, snow permitting and try that, it could be around the major bike fests in the country as well.....it might go further if you were not trying to do the " whole show " and tag team with a local event like a bike fest or rally .....just my .02...

[bobbyf6b]

I think we should have them all at the same time so nobody can go to all of them. It's not fair. :amused:

[Phantom]

Miles,

Steve's idea of coordinating a F6B gathering with Biker events through out the country is a good idea, we have done this in the past and works out very well.

At this moment for 2014 .....

A few of us plan on returning to Franklin, North Carolina on Labor Day weekend again. Early arrivals ----> Thursday afternoon August 28th, 2014, once there we ride Friday, Saturday and Sunday then DEPART on Monday September 1st, 2014. The Hotel was reasonably priced, the Hotel staff was fantastic, plenty of restaurants nearby and the weather was very nice. Many nice roads that we did not even have the opportunity to ride on at the 2013 F6B Rally, I plan to lead at least 1 of the rides.

I normally will drive or ride no more than 12 hours one way to attend a Motorcycle event, I encourage everyone to join us and there should be no reason why anyone within a 12 hour radius from Franklin can't ride or drive in. There is plenty of trailer parking around the Hotel if you decide to trailer your Bike (across the street and beneath the back of the hotel in the lower parking area).

FRANKLIN, North Carolina is only ....

8 hours from Orlando
8 hours from Washington DC
8.5 hours from Tampa
9 hours away from St Louis
9 hours from New Orleans
10 hours from Chicago
10 hours from Detroit
10 hours from Philadelphia
11 hours from Oklahoma City
12 hours from Dallas
12 hours from New York City

EITHER late November or early December .... is there any interest to do a Run to KEY WEST ????

[bobbyf6b]

For the SW region, the rally's I know about are:

Laughlin River Run. Laughlin, NV. April 23th through 27th.

Four Corners Rally. (near) Durango, CO. Labor Day Weekend.

Arizona Bike Week. Scottsdale, AZ. April 2nd through 6th.

[MichaelG]

FRANKLIN, North Carolina is only ....

8 hours from Orlando
8 hours from Washington DC
8.5 hours from Tampa
9 hours away from St Louis
9 hours from New Orleans
10 hours from Chicago
10 hours from Detroit
10 hours from Philadelphia
11 hours from Oklahoma City
12 hours from Dallas
12 hours from New York City



And...70 hours from Seattle :icon_mrgreen:

[JesseS]

And...70 hours from Seattle :icon_mrgreen:

Shows only 36.5 hours from Sacramento, you must be taking the scenic route :icon_lol:

[MichaelG]

Shows only 36.5 hours from Sacramento, you must be taking the scenic route :icon_lol:

Jesse, it would only be 43 hours from Seattle...if I rode straight through, and did not stop to sleep. It took me slightly less than 3 days to make the ride from Seattle to Franklin, NC., including stopping 3 nights to sleep.

[CoCoKola]

I'd offer to host, but i've not even been to a rally.. ;( 1500 miles on my first and only.

Although the ne,nw,se,sw sounds good on paper, I am working up to 4-6- hour rides, perhaps by next year one will be close enough to St.Louis, MO ...

Any interest in something central - heck, the Ozarks in MO have some amazing roads I am told.

[Paul B Blues]

Yeah, I'll do the Highlands of Scotland rally :shock: Got the T-shirt already!

2501

[ff73148]

There are those of us out here who don't have the time to do 12 hour rides to rallies. We have jobs, families and responsibilities. So the idea of regional rallies is a good one. 6 to 8 hours max to ride to a regional rally is perfect. If it's a F6B rally or if we piggy back on some other rally doesn't make a difference. My vote is to piggy back on some other rally. I know in the Northeast there are plenty of smaller rallies.I'm sure the organizers of these rallies would be happy to have our support. Lets pick some rallies and make plans for 2014.

[1951vbs]

Do we have or could we get a map with the distribution of forum members so we could see where we have some concentration?

[contek]

Yeah, I'll do the Highlands of Scotland rally :shock: Got the T-shirt already!

2501

Haha. Great tee shirt. Come on over to Franklin next year and you'll make plenty of friends! :yes:

[MichaelG]

Do we have or could we get a map with the distribution of forum members so we could see where we have some concentration?

This is an EXCELLENT idea. Other forums I have been on have a member map. That helps us see where the concentration of members are in particular regions.

BTW, for the rider from NJ...we could piggy-back on to Americade in Lake George, NY. Lots of great places there. Usually the first weekend in June.

[F6B-RICH]

This is an EXCELLENT idea. Other forums I have been on have a member map. That helps us see where the concentration of members are in particular regions.

BTW, for the rider from NJ...we could piggy-back on to Americade in Lake George, NY. Lots of great places there. Usually the first weekend in June.



Or Roar To The Shore Wildwood NJ its usually early Sept right after Labor Day.Whats better then beach,babes and bikes :icon_biggrin:

[Paul B Blues]

Haha. Great tee shirt. Come on over to Franklin next year and you'll make plenty of friends! :yes:

If I can get my wife to agree I might just do that :icon_biggrin:

[dickiedeals]

Do we have or could we get a map with the distribution of forum members so we could see where we have some concentration?

Yes I too would like such a map. Do they still make maps? lol Dickie

[Big Dawg]

I will once again offer my services for the franklin rally, I would also like to suggest (borrowing this idea from the darkside ride in) that this coming year we offer ride options so that the attendees have a choice each day for the rides. I could provide paper maps and GPS files for those who want them. In other words, some self guided tours. This takes a lot of work and effort off the organizers and allows them to get in some fun riding too. This method works very well and you could even have morning and afternoon rides along with all day rides. There are so many good roads up there that are off the radar with amazing scenery too.

my 2 cents

[1951vbs]

I will once again offer my services for the franklin rally, I would also like to suggest (borrowing this idea from the darkside ride in) that this coming year we offer ride options so that the attendees have a choice each day for the rides. I could provide paper maps and GPS files for those who want them. In other words, some self guided tours. This takes a lot of work and effort off the organizers and allows them to get in some fun riding too. This method works very well and you could even have morning and afternoon rides along with all day rides. There are so many good roads up there that are off the radar with amazing scenery too.

my 2 cents

+1 sounds cool!

[ff73148]

Miles,
IMHO Americade is a mess. Too many bikes, expensive hotels and crowded roads. I agree with Rich. Roar To The Shore in Wildwood, NJ is good. There is also the Killington Classic in Killington, VT. Great roads, good food and reasonable hotels. They run this rally in between seasons in VT so the roads are wide open.

[Darkknight]

I like the member map Idea.:yes: I still don't see many of our bike in my area (CT).
The stories I hear from friends that go to Americade seem to tell me not to go. I really don't want to be with that many bikes unless I'm riding on the US Capital.
I've already set aside vacation time for Franklin in 2014. I don't want to miss that, and it will probably be my longest ride EVER!
NJ, VT or NY won't require excessive planning or vacation time for me and they do have beautiful riding. I still hope to make it to Mt. Washington before this year's riding season is done, but that's ending quickly here.
One suggestion I have is to have a rally when the season is the best and worst in other areas. Like Florida or Arizona when the northeast is cold and snowy (January to April). In the northeast when the south and midwest are brutally hot (July or August). You get the Idea.
I could see me loading the bike onto the trailer in the middle of a Northeast blizzard in February and heading to Florida for a 10 day trip.:clap2:

[MYSTER REE]

Just a thought, use the VIN list to start the members map. I know all members/visitors have not entered their VIN. I know of 6 F6B's in Mississippi and only 4 are members of the forum. I have encouraged them to join.

[MichaelG]

Miles,
IMHO Americade is a mess. Too many bikes, expensive hotels and crowded roads. I agree with Rich. Roar To The Shore in Wildwood, NJ is good. There is also the Killington Classic in Killington, VT. Great roads, good food and reasonable hotels. They run this rally in between seasons in VT so the roads are wide open.


I hear your point about Americade. I have been there 4 times for that event, and worked it as a volunteer staff member 2 of those times.

Okay, then my vote would be for the Killington Classic. I used to live in St. Johnsbury, VT, and love the area. I would NOT go to the Roar to the Shore in NJ, as I do not like riding in NJ anymore than I have to, and it would also be crowded with people other than bike riders. I think WE get the best bang for our buck at the Killington Classic., in VERMONT.

:icon_mrgreen:

[F6B-RICH]

I hear your point about Americade. I have been there 4 times for that event, and worked it as a volunteer staff member 2 of those times.

Okay, then my vote would be for the Killington Classic. I used to live in St. Johnsbury, VT, and love the area. I would NOT go to the Roar to the Shore in NJ, as I do not like riding in NJ anymore than I have to, and it would also be crowded with people other than bike riders. I think WE get the best bang for our buck at the Killington Classic., in VERMONT.

:icon_mrgreen:



Went to Roar To The Shore a few weeks ago and way more bikes and riders then people just being there hanging out.Plus you have to remember if you own or rent a house in Wildwood you are not going to be there that weekend as it is to noisy for most people if you are not a biker :icon_biggrin: Vacations are over and kids are getting ready to back to school the weekend they usually have it on.

[Scotrod]

Just a thought, use the VIN list to start the members map. I know all members/visitors have not entered their VIN. I know of 6 F6B's in Mississippi and only 4 are members of the forum. I have encouraged them to join.

Approx 12 on Vin list in CA
Approx 7 on Vin list in TX

[ff73148]

Miles,
I just shot an e-mail to the Killington Classic contact to check on details for 2014. I would be willing to help organize the event. Let me see what response I get.

[ff73148]

Miles, the Killington Classic is August 28 - 31 in 2014. PM me if you want to pursue this venue for a Northeast rally.

[MichaelG]

Miles, the Killington Classic is August 28 - 31 in 2014. PM me if you want to pursue this venue for a Northeast rally.

Oh, DARN !!!!! We have an F6B rally conflict. The F6B gathering in Franklin, NC is also scheduled for August 28th to Sept. 1.

I really want to go to both gatherings, but my first committment would be to the one in Franklin, as...someone needs to volunteer to follow Big Dawg, to keep all the flies off his butt when he is riding so slow.:icon_razz:

If the Southeast gets blown up before that time, I can ride to Vermont instead. But it might be safer to "try" to find another date.

Having said that, please keep in mind that you Yankees in the Northeast need to make your own rally plans, and do not fret about those Rebels in the South. :icon_lol:

There were a couple riders that came from Maryland to Franklin, but I don't think there was anyone from farther North that came, other than myself.
I say, plan your event around the riders in your area, and it the event ends up being on the same date, then so be it. It would be nice if it was a different date, so that people from around the USA and Canada could attend both Franklin and Killington...on different dates, but we cannot always have our cake and eat it too.

Maybe...the weekend before or after the event in Franklin, so that us riders that are willing...can ride to both events, in a row, on the same trip.:icon_wink:

[ff73148]

I'll have to look into other rallies. No point in having them the same weekend. Does anyone in the Northeast have other suggestions? Rich had mentioned the Roar To The Shore in Wildwood, NJ. The only issue there is there are no really good roads to ride around Wildwood.

[Darkknight]

I plan on attending the Franklin event in 2014.
I'm setting aside a week's vacation to make the trip to NC. So hopefully, there will be some North East representatives down there in 2014.

I'm also planning a trip to Florida in February, although weather up here may make trailering the logical method of getting my bike there.
I have plenty of vacation time, but my sweetheart isn't so lucky. I wonder if I could rent a full-Wing near the Keys for part of the second week in February....Hmmmm. Never rode one of those before.

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Rhode Island are all within a day's ride for me so I'd be open to any of those areas for a North East gathering, although I probably wouldn't go to Americade (but never say never).
A North East gathering might even pull down some of the brothers and sisters from North of the border.:icon_biggrin:
I would imagine June or July would be nice in VT.

I'm not much of a traveler, at least I wasn't BEFORE I bought this bike. Now I'm talking about Florida in February, NC in late August, VT in mid summer (end of June, begining of July) and while I'm dreaming large, how about Arizona in say...mid to late May?

I suppose it would help to retire first (if that was only possible), but if I never dream about these adventures, it's not likely I'll ever experience any of them.

I hope all you guys know that in addition to the gizmo's and do-dads you recomend , and the experiences you post on this forum, you also allow people like me to expand our horizions and say... why not?

Thanks.

[MichaelG]

But if I never dream about these adventures, it's not likely I'll ever experience any of them.

, you also allow people like me to expand our horizions and say... why not?

Thanks.


No truer words have ever been said on this forum. I salute you for your dreams, and invite you to expand on your horizons.:icon_cool:

[Limbuck]

Rally ho...
We really enjoyed the small size of the Franklin rally and will be back next year. We enjoyed talking to everyone but didn't get to spend enough time with anybody. This rally will grow and we hope to meet some new folks next year also. Usually we like to find out where all the bikers are going and then Not Go There. That's our thing but it's much like the company I work for, so good so long, then so big and so impersonal. Heck for us the City of Franklin was almost too much. It had "exits". We love the two lane roads and the two lane towns that go with them. Yeah, I am dreaming of other rallies in other places and once I retire again I hope to attend them where-ever they may be. I flunked retiring first time around but that ain't happening again. See you down the road friends...
Side note on F6B: I've been hell bent on getting louder exhausts and all but the longer I ride this bike the quietness is growing on me. I may be fine and also a thousand bucks ahead. There's a rally for sure.

[Hornblower]

Rally ho...
We really enjoyed the small size of the Franklin rally and will be back next year.

Hey, Limbuck, I'm with you on the smaller, more personal groups like we have with our F6B friends. BTW, I missed you down in Daytona but it sounds like we can meet up again in Franklin next year, if not before. Of course, as you found out first-hand, getting around these little groups of true enthusiasts will cost you big time. There are just so many ways to spend money on these big, beautiful, black (or red in your case) bikes it's downright scary. Oh yeah, we'll have you sportin' some aftermarket pipes before it's all over (as long as your lovely wife will go along with that :icon_wink:)

[MichaelG]

Limbuck, unlike my colleague Ken, that cannot remember his own wife's name, I know that your wife...Mary...would not enjoy louder pipes. The quietness may be better for her. As for the Franklin rally for next year, I plan to do LESS riding during the days of the rally, and spend MORE time sitting around visiting with other folks that came to meet other forum members. Heck, I ride a fair distance to get there (mileage not stated) so I do not need to ride an additional 100 to 200 miles a day just to see the local countryside. I can get a glimpse of that when I leave at 1:00 am, and head on out to the next rally.:icon_razz:

Seriouly, I think any of us that want to spend more time getting to know one another, and less time chasing after one another on local roads, should do that. I did offer on this last Franklin rally to take Mary, and Lynn, and any of the other wives and take them out to lunch and shopping, whilst you guys chased after one another.:icon_mrgreen:

[Hornblower]

Limbuck, unlike my colleague Ken, that cannot remember his own wife's name, I know that your wife...Mary...would not enjoy louder pipes. The quietness may be better for her.


Hey, wait a minute! I remember that just as well as I remember that Limbuck is really Ricky. What about that??? Put that in your pipe and smoke it :icon_mrgreen:
Now, if I could only remember my own wife's name :iduno: